Peace via Poetry

PEACEMAKING AS AN ART FORM, AND POETRY CAN HELP!
"Peace goes into the making of a Poet, as Flour goes into the making of Bread."-Pablo Neruda
The quote above reflects the kind of sensibility I hope we all can become more familiar with. That we can make important to us.

Earlier today, I called in to read on The Radio Open Mic for Poetry at
BlogRadio. The host is Rick Lupert, the man behind "The Poetry Super Highway" and its' Poet of the Week feature.
I read "For Aunt Carolyn", and I also spoke about how important poetry is, how we need "communion" with one another. I mentioned the day of Peace I attended(months ago) at a Catholic church, where I listened to members of The Parents' Circle-Families Forum discuss the loss of their family members' to the war in the Middle East. And I shared the name of this blog, as well as my website:
www.lisaallender.com
where you can find my blog:
www.lisananetteallender.blogspot.com/
Here's the poem I read:

For Aunt Carolyn

She’s had to photograph bodies
some raped, and
left for dead
others died a quick death in their sleep,
or at the request of some pills,
or on the order
of a stranger’s knife.

I wonder if there have been torsos
bodies with no heads
like the Playboys
she used to collect.
She beheaded those perfect girls
took their heads to the beauty parlors (it was 1965)
and said
Make me look like this
and they did.

I remember the big yard sale
where I peered at perfect torsos
and wondered why it meant so much
to run my hands over their too-full breasts
tanned legs
slim sleek necks
why it felt natural to stare at girls,
who, faceless,
still stare back at me.

Peace, kids.